The Way We Were
by Darla's-Fallen-Angel
Summary: Set in the late 1800's, this story is a glimpse into the life of the fanged four a few years after Spike was sired. How will he be able to fit in, and what will they do when a new slayer is after them? Please read and review! Chapter 5 is up
1. Chapter 1

**The Way We Were**

London, late 1800's

She looked at the boy in the corner breathing new life into the dwindling fire and stood, her hands smoothing down her skirts. Angelus looked up from his chair by the fire and watched her as she elegantly crossed the room to the fledgling vampire's side as he added more coal to the fire, his brow furrowed in concentration. 

"You're going to snuff the fire completely if you keep adding those" Darla warned peering down at him as he wiped a sooty hand across his brow and looked up at her in a mixture of apprehension and annoyance. 

"I'm trying, Madam" Will addressed her, cringing as her satin heel kicked his hand knocking the coal from it. 

"You're not trying hand enough then" she remarked and turned to her childe, "Angelus, show the boy how to rekindle a fire, it's getting a bit frosty in here"

Angelus let out a growl of annoyance and shoved Will aside roughly as he quickly blew into the fire and then added coals slowly as the flame rose from a wispy blue glimmer to an orange blaze. 

Darla watched, satisfied at Angelus worked and kicked her sooty grandchilde again for good measure, "I trust you now how to make a fire now Will?" 

"Yes, Madam"

"So you'll do it correctly the next time" It wasn't a question but a statement as Darla expected no less from him. She turned and walked back to her chair, sitting down and arranging her skirts around her in a dignified fashion. 

Angelus got to his feet and dusted off his hands before resuming his seat across from her, "Go find your sister, boy. Make she she's not getting herself into too much trouble" 

Will nodded, happy to have a reason to go find Dru and get away from his sires. They'd been beating him with more frequently now, and Darla was even taking part which was unexpected since she'd always said she was too much of a lady to deal with disciplining childer. 

Darla glanced sharply at Angelus, her lip curled in slight annoyance, "Don't you teach the boy anything?" she asked, "He doesn't know how to build a fire, he doesn't hunt on his own because he can't be trusted not to go get himself hurt and he talks back when he's reprimanded. Really Angelus, we need to just stake him and get it over with. Let Drusilla pick another boy, and this time I'll approve him."

Angelus shifted in his chair uncomfortably, he knew Will was useless at the moment, but he would learn, it would just take longer then it had with Dru. Why did Darla always have to question him? "You said the same for Dru when she was first sired and look at her now, she's your pet" he reminded her calmly.

"Yes" Darla agreed and stayed silent for a moment, staring into the fire, looking like she was lost in thought while she watched the pale yellow flames jump and dance against the brick fireplace. "But how many childer do we need? It was so much simpler when it was just us, we could just pick up and go somewhere, we stayed out almost until the sun rose and then we'd spend the night in one of our victims homes. Now we've become so…domesticated" she said with disgust. 

"You want to leave London?" Angelus asked with a look of surprise, "And go where, live underground like The Master? I believe he's still in the sewers if you'd like to look him up" he replied with satisfaction as stood up from her chair angrily. 

Darla's fists were clinched at her sides as she looked Angelus up and down before saying with an eerie calm, "Remember your place, boy"

Angelus's amused grin turned into a scowl as he rose from his chair as well, he hated to be called 'boy' like he was some common fledgling. "Of course" he replied with a condescending bow, "What is it Will calls you? Oh yes, _Madam._" He grinned, "Whatever you say, Madam" 

"Don't talk down to me, _Liam_" Darla snapped, "Don't forget your place, and who made you. You've been getting a little too lippy to me lately and I don't appreciate it. You're setting a bad example for our childer and damn it Angelus, I won't tolerate your insolence, God knows I have enough of that with William!" 

"Leave the boy out of this" Angelus snarled, towering over Darla by at least a few feet, his hands clinched in fists by his side as well. 

"Oh, is that a sore spot?" she taunted, "You don't like it when I speak poorly of the boy?"

She glared at him and then looked toward the stairs and called, "William! Come down here, boy"

Will looked up at Drusilla with fear in his eyes, they'd been listening to Darla and Angelus argue, but now that he was being called into it, this couldn't end well. "Yes Madam" he called back, and then took Dru by the hand and walked down the stairs slowly as Dru skipped behind him. 

"Daddy's going to get a beating" she sung and then giggled as they reached the bottom of the stairs, "Daddy's getting punished" she said in wonder as they rounded the stairwell in time to see Darla strike Angelus hard across the face. 

Will stayed silent, and squeezed Dru's hand in a motion to quiet her as well. Darla was in a mood and when she was like this if the slightest thing displeased her about them, they'd both be beaten until the sun rose. 

Angelus stood still when Darla hit him and spit out a mouthful of blood into the fireplace, he wouldn't look like it had hurt, or that he was losing. His childer were watching after all. 

"Boy, I am going hunting, you will stay here with Dru" Darla said and for a moment Will assumed she was talking to him, until he realized with sickening certainty that the 'boy' she was referring to was Angelus. They were sure to get into a row after this. 

Darla forced a smiled on her face and then turned to William who was unaware he was slowly edging back up at the stairs as she and Angelus argued. "William" she said calmly, "You'll come hunting with me tonight instead of Angelus. Hurry and go put your boots on, the sun's been down for an hour and I'm hungry."

Will stood motionless for a second staring at her in compete and utter surprise. He'd never been hunting alone with Darla. Ever. He was almost filled with a since of pride until he realized she was only taking him to make Angelus jealous and more then likely Will would receive a beating from him for it later. 

Darla raised an eyebrow at the frozen William and said, "Boy, don't make me tell you again." 

Her comment must have sparked something in his mind because then he was off like a shot, trying to find where he'd laid his boots. 

Darla turned back to Angelus, "You won't be eating tonight. Hopefully your hunger will make you think twice about how you speak to your sire."

"What about me, Grandmum?" Drusilla asked, "Can't I eat? I've been an awfully good girl. Really, I have."

Darla smiled at her indulgently, "Of course, precious" she answered. "But William and I are going to get the food. I'll bring you back someone delicious" she promised. 

Drusilla's mouth turned downward in a pout and she stuck out her lower lip, "But Grandmum, I want to go hunting too"

Darla frowned, "Don't call me that, and don't whine Dru. We shan't be long, and someone needs to stay and entertain Angelus. Be a good girl and I might even bring you a special treat" she told the younger vampire before tuning an irritated glare at Will. "Are you ready yet, boy?" 

"Yeah" he grunted, putting on his other boot and walking over to her. Angelus smacked him on the back of the head as he passed and Will automatically changed his answer to "Yes, Madam."

She looked him up and down and then nodded her head, satisfied. "Very well then, come along boy" she said walking briskly to the door. Angelus grabbed Darla gently by the arm, stopping her. His thumb brushed a curl of her hair out of her face and kissed her. She grinned into the kiss and allowed her fangs to slip down momentary, nipping him in the lip, drawing a pearl of blood onto her tongue. "I'll be back, love" she promised and then held out her hand to Will who kissed it and wrapped it around his own, leading her out the door, and escorting her into the night.

A/N: Please review! 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews I got for the last chapter and I hope everyone likes this one. I'm thinking of changing this story to an R rating, tell me what you think. 

**The Way We Were**

**Chapter 2**

"Where shall we go, Madam?" Will asked, trying to keep the nervous tone from his voice as his eyes adjusted to the darkness and their pace quickened down the cobblestone road onto the main street. 

Darla ignored his question and instead looked skyward, her eyes fixing on the pale yellow moon that was a day from full. "How many hours until sun up, Will?" she asked, her eyes tearing away from the sun to glance at the fledgling's confused face, "And don't look at the clock or you won't be eating tonight either." She cautioned as she saw his eyes wander towards a clock above the window of a shop. 

"Damn" Will swore quietly, his eyes traveling towards the sky. It looked dark, how the hell could he tell what time it was, and they were in London, there was always a clock. "Um…" he said and felt Darla's nails dig into his arm, "Um…6 hours?" 

Darla rolled her eyes and tugged him into an alley near a bar. "Are you asking me or telling me, boy?"

Will gulped and said, "Telling you Madam. It's six hours until sun up"

Darla laughed, it sounded like sliver bells in the dry winter air, "You can almost feign confidence" she told him, pushing him against the cool brick wall of the alley, her face half hidden in shadow, "But you're wrong boy, it's only seven, there's ten hours until we get cooked alive. Want to stay out all night or make it quick?" she said breathily as she pressed her slim body against his. 

Will gasp, forgetting for a second he didn't need to breathe. Darla was molding her body against his, she'd never been so close…he struggled to make his brain work and recall the question she'd just asked him. "All night" he panted. 

Darla raised an eyebrow, "Wrong answer" she whispered in his ear, leaning close and nibbling his earlobe gently. "If we stayed out all night then Dru wouldn't get something to eat. I'm sure your sister would be displeased to know you'd rather she went without food just so you could…" she sighed and nibbled his neck, "Fuck me in an alleyway"

"No" Will said immediately and then shook his head, "I mean, yes…I mean, I don't want Drusilla to go hungry, not at all."

Darla wrapped an arm around his shoulder and drug a nail across his cheek, drawing a deep rivulet of blood in its wake, licking it up and then cocking her head as if she was listening for something, "So you'd rather feed your little Dru than have me take you in an alley?" she asked with a cruel smile, "That must have been quite a decision for you, I'm sure I'd been your first" she raised an eyebrow, "Am I right, or wrong, fledgling?"

Will blushed and looked at the ground before meeting Darla's gaze again, "Yes Madam" he said quietly, hating her for embarrassing him and hating himself even more for being so young and naive in his mortal life and having to pay for it now. 

Darla watched his expression with an amused looked on her face and then pressed the subject, "So which will it be; food for Dru or the alley with me?"

Will frowned, thinking it over and then asked, "Is there a right answer to this question?" he shifted on his feet and then added, "Madam."

"No" Darla answered honestly, "And that's your first lesson, when I ask you a question you answer me with what you think, because most of the time assertiveness is much more important than the actual answer" she told him, pulling away from him and walking out of the alley, snapping her fingers behind her for him to follow. 

Will gulped and nodded, rushing to keep up with her, surprised when she passed the bar without even a sideways glace at it and kept walking along the cobblestone, heading towards the cemetery. 

"You're going to get our meal tonight, boy" she told him, walking into a mausoleum and sitting on a stone sarcophagus, arranging her skirts primly and crossing her legs, "You'll find people walking around the cemetery laying flowers on graves and such, you'll find a family and convince them to follow you here. If you lay a hand on them you'll be punished. You need to use your wit to convince them to come here; not a small family either, at least two children. You have…" Darla considered a moment, "You have a half hour, go"

Will opened his mouth to ask a question and then snapped it shut and nodded, "Yes Madam" he said and walked out into the night again, wondering how he was going to get an entire family to come with him. He'd never even gotten one person alone before, how could he get a family? And what would Darla do if he didn't? 

Will stumbled along the graves and fixed his eyes on a middle aged woman and her three small children weeping by a grave about ten yards from him. Will smiled and walked up to them, trying to formulate a plan in his mind as to what he'd say. He cleared his throat and said, "Excuse me, but I couldn't help but notice you're here alone."

The woman nodded and wiped her eyes, looking up at him with apprehension, "Yes?" she asked.

"Well, it's not very safe for a woman and children to be out a night alone in London" Will said, shifting from one foot to the other uncomfortably, "If you would like, I could walk you home." He offered. 

The woman smiled thinly at him and nodded, rising to her feet and cradling a small child of barely one on her arms while the other two clung to her skirts and looked up at William with solemn eyes. 

Will nodded his head and put his arm out to her, happy when she took it, as he started to lead her back from the direction he came, towards the mausoleum satisfied with himself that this kill would be so easy. Darla would be pleased, and maybe now that he'd shown her he was capable, he'd be aloud to hunt on his own. 

"We live back the other way" the woman old him, trying to pull out of his grasp. He stayed silent and tightened his arm around her, almost dragging her to the mausoleum. "No, let go of me!" the woman screamed, pulling her shoe off and smacking him on the head with it.

The sharp heel gouged into his forehead and he howled; his vampire visage sliding forth as he turned on her, she hit him again and ran away when he fell to his knees, stunned. He saw stars, and he wasn't looking skyward. Blood dripped into his eyes as he struggled to his feet again and looked around. He was running out of time and now he had no one to eat, or bring back to Darla. 

"Damn it" Will swore again, struggling into the street and grabbing the first woman he saw roughly by the hair and dragging her back toward the cemetery, he didn't care if he only had one now, at least he was bringing someone. 

The girl suddenly whirled on him and kicked him. Will ducked out of the way and got a firm hand on her as he reached the door of the mausoleum. "I've got one, Madam" he called and then there was a flurry of activity and he was shoved roughly, his head cracked against the stone wall of the mausoleum and he collapsed to the cool stone ground. He could hear Darla yelling at him, and didn't know why, but before he could process her words, he passed out. 

Darla looked up; annoyed at how long it'd taken him when she heard Will walk into the mausoleum. Her mouth fell open in surprise when she saw clearly the girl he'd had in his grip. It was the slayer! Darla growled and jumped to her feet as the girl did a roundhouse kick and caught Will square in the jaw, dropping him like a pile of bricks. 

Darla launched herself at the slayer, knocking them both to the floor. She tried to pin the girl but got flipped over the other way when she stole a glance at the bleeding fledgling. The slayer had Darla's hands pinned under her and the stake was nearing her chest. Darla shoved the slayer violently and winced as the stake drove into her shoulder, missing her heart by only inches. 

Darla was on her feet in moments and grabbed the slayer by the hair, smacking her face into the stone wall, hearing the bones crack. The slayer spun around and grabbed Darla's face, gouging the skin and snapping her neck back. Darla didn't allow herself the luxury of being disoriented. She instead snapped the girl's neck in a minute of blind fury and threw her to the floor. The girl was still breathing, but barely so, but Darla knew she would live and she wanted her to. Darla knelt down beside the almost dead slayer and smiled, grabbing her by the collar and dragging her out into the cool night of the cemetery where her watcher would be sure to see her. Darla was sure the broken neck would send the girl's watcher a pretty strong message. 

Darla walked back into the mausoleum and grabbed Will be the collar of his shirt, dragging him from the mausoleum and dumping him on the grass. "Get up" she snapped, kicking him in the ribs. 

He groaned and rolled over, opening his eyes slowly. 

"I said, get up" she repeated, pulling him to his feet, watching as he swayed but stayed put. "I didn't get a family, Madam" he slurred, his eyes looking glazed over. 

"Yes, William, I know." Darla told him irritably, "Go home, I'll get dinner and meet you." She said, glaring as he hesitated, "I said go!" she yelled, standing at straight as a steel rod as she watched him drag himself down the road. 

Darla swore under her breath the entire time she walked home, snapping the necks of three villagers in her path and dragging their broken bodies with her. Darla struggled to the two story 18th century manor they lived in. Darla drug the bodies to the door step and opened the door, using all her strength to not collapse right there. 

"Darla!" Angelus exclaimed, rushing to the door, "What happened? I could only get incoherent babbling for the boy. What happened? Are you okay?" he asked, taking her hand and leading her to the fainting couch. 

Darla sat down numbly and pointed toward the door, "Bring in the bodies, the blood will start to cool soon" she told him, glancing down in distaste at the stake sticking out of her shoulder. She grimaced and pulled it out, tossing it aside, and laying back, pressing a hand to the wound to try and slow the bleeding. 

"Our genius boy found a slayer to feed on" Darla remarked sarcastically, "She attacked and I had to fight her off, I broke her neck, but she got in a few good rounds at me as well" Darla summarized, gingerly touching the side of her face where the slayer had gouged it. Her face was swollen and a deep rivulet of blood was pouring from her ear down her jaw line. Her blue eyes looked tired and angry, but Angelus could see the deeply masked pain there as well. 

"A slayer!" Drusilla exclaimed walking into the room, "Oh, Grandmum took a beating, Oh! The stars are cursing us, we need to leave here. The slayer will catch us like rabbits in a snare!" she said looking afraid. 

"We'll be okay, love" Will reassured her, touching his forehead and wincing, his gashes were already staring to heal, but they still throbbed with a dull ache. Darla, he saw, looked much wore than him and he felt a pang of guilt for bringing the slayer in the first place. "My apologizes, Madam" he said, averting his eyes from her abused face. 

Darla sneered at him, "William, feed and then go to bed. Now" she said in a steely voice. 

Will nodded and quickly took a body from the pile, a man looking not much older than himself, and sunk his teeth into the broken neck, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply, enjoying the tangy taste of blood. 

Drusilla followed him and grabbed the second body; an elderly woman and looked beseechingly at Darla, her eyes asking permission to drink. 

Darla nodded and closed her eyes, "Angelus, you need to eat too" she told him, deciding she wouldn't begrudge him of it. She was hurt and losing strength, so he needed to at least keep up his to protect the childer. 

He hesitated, "You need your strength, you'll heal faster if you eat" he told her, dragging the other body, that of a man, to the couch where she sat. 

Darla gritted her teeth and refused, ignoring the thick heady scent of blood in the air, "No, Angelus, I'm fine. You need to drink, so stop arguing, childe"

Angelus nodded and dipped his head into the neck, drinking while Darla stood up stiffly, "I'm going to bed, if anyone wakes me before next nightfall, I'll snap their necks like dry kindling."

Dru finished draining the body she was drinking from and let it fall to the floor, standing up and starting after Darla, "I'll come to bed too" she said softly and turned to Will, "Coming, poppet?"

"Drusilla, tonight's not one to play" Angelus warned, "Just leave her alone and sleep in William's bed, you're not staying with us." 

Dru looked off into t distance and then nodded, "Okay" she said walking for the stairs. 

William started to rise and follow her, but Angelus stopped him, "Boy, get back here and take care of these corpses, they'll start to rot if we leave them till morning" Angelus finished the last of the blood in his corpse and let it fall carelessly, watching as Will drug them out back before clapping him on the back and heading for the stairs. 

When he reached the bedroom he saw Darla curled into a ball, blood soaking her while nightgown; She moaned and rolled over to face Angelus, her eyes were heavily lidded and her mouth was partially open, "Angelus" she said in a gasp, "Come here my darling boy"

Angelus finished undressing and crawled into bed, pulling Darla into his arms and cradling her. 

Darla snuggled up next to him and then grimaced at her shoulder and frowned, "I'm bleeding all over the bed" she said with a slight tone of impatience with herself, "The bedclothes will be ruined."

"Shh" Angelus replied kissing her forehead lightly, "The boy can wash them, don't think on that now. "Here" he said offering his wrist to her.

She smiled wanly at him and fastened her lips to the pale skin, her demon face showing through as she drank from him. Tears pooled in her eyes, she could feel the strength in his blood, she could feel how it was already starting to heal her inside out and she was grateful. Darla let go of his wrist and then licked it feebly for a second before tucking her head into his chest and starting to cry softly, tears streaming down her face and mingling with the blood on her lips. 

She fell asleep like that; her face a combination of tears and blood with Angelus rubbing her back softly and kissing her. 

A/N: In the next chapter the Slayer's watcher attacks them and Drusilla gets a vision. Don't forget to review!


	3. Chapter 3

**The Way We Were**

**Chapter 3**

They awoke to Drusilla's screams the next night. Darla opened her eyes and felt her face gingerly, satisfied that it, along with the stab wound in her shoulder were healing well. "Angelus, go see why Dru's making all that racket" she ordered, propping herself up on one arm to look at him. 

"The boy can look after her" Angelus replied, rolling over and cradling Darla in his arms, kissing her neck. 

Darla pulled away and sat up, "Angelus" she said in a stern tone. 

He swore under his breath and got out of bed, pulling on a pair of trousers and walking out of the room to see what was causing Drusilla to make so much noise. 

Spike sat up in bed, his eyes adjusting to the dark as he heard screeching, and it took him only a moment to realize Dru wasn't in bed beside him. "Oh bloody hell" he muttered getting out of bed and pulling a shirt on, buttoning his trousers and tucking his shirt in before he walked out of the bedroom and following the screaming down the stairs and into the main room of their home. 

Drusilla was curled into a ball near the door, her fingers frantically clawing at it like a forlorn kitten, "She nears" Dru wailed, clutching her head and screaming. 

"Dru, shhhh" Will tried to comfort her, taking her in his arms but she shoved him away roughly and curled her arms around herself again, staring to rock back and forth, her screams echoing through out the room. 

"Drusilla" Angelus barked, walking down the stairs, glaring at the couple huddled on the floor. 

Will stood up immediately, "I-I tried to get her to quiet down, I don't know what's wrong wit her, she just won't calm down." Will sighed and stuck his hands in his pockets, "I fear she's finally gone over the edge."

Angelus held up a hand to quiet Will and stared intently at Dru who was still writhing on the floor. "Drusilla" he said in a measured tone, "Drusilla, stop making that noise this instant, what has gotten into you?"

Dru didn't answer she just continued to pull at her hair and rock on the floor moaning, "She's almost here, we're like defenseless lambs. Jump and catch, jump and catch, the lamb is caught in the blackberry patch…oh it's awful."

"Damn it" Angelus swore, pulling her to her feet by her hair and slapping her hard across the face."

Drusilla whimpered as her lip erupted in red where Angelus struck her and she started to shake, keening quietly like a frighten animal. 

"Dru, darling" 

The trio turned to see Darla at the foot of the stairs, a hand still placed on the banister, her white dressing gown flowing around her with the pale bloom of blood still staining the cloth near her shoulder making her look like a fallen angel. Her face had healed considerably from the night before and all that was left of her earlier run-in with the slayer was a pale white line from her ear to her jaw line and a faded yellow bruise around it, both of which would be gone by the next nightfall. 

She smiled wanly and walked toward Drusilla, looking more like she was floating with perfect grace and caressed Dru's face slightly and frowning, "Drusilla, what did you see?" she asked softly. 

"It's all black and wrong. Naughty Spike will get us all skewered, Ooh!" she yelled, closing her eyes and swaying back and forth, tears brimming in her large eyes. 

Darla set her jaw in annoyance for a moment and turned to Angelus, "What's she talking about?"

Angelus shrugged, "She's just babbling, I don't know what about. Go and rest darling, I'll quiet her."

"No Angelus, this might be important" Darla argued, taking Drusilla's hands in hers and looking into her eyes, "Drusilla, you will tell me what this is about, in words that make sense and then you will go up stairs and help me with my corset. Understand?"

Drusilla looked fearfully at her, "We're in the blackberry patch and the wolf's approaching" she said shaking her head and then looked puzzled, "Or, rather the wolf's wolf. You broke the little one's neck last night."

"The little one?" Darla asked, puzzled and then nodded, "The slayer" she said, addressing the group, "the wolf's wolf…is the slayer's watcher here?"

Drusilla nodded looking towards the door, "There here and getting ever closer."

Darla broke into a smile clasping Drusilla's hands together in hers, "Splendid" she said and turned around to Angelus, "Angelus, check the perimeters, find out how many watchers are there, William stroke the fire, and Dru, come help me with my corset. I need to look presentable if we're going to face a crowd. 

Angelus's smile matched hers as he rushed to obey Darla's command, giving his childer a little shove to get them into action too. 

Will looked nervous as he added logs to the fire, "Why are we going to meet them? A watcher never just comes alone, they come in force. We could get dusted, if it's enough to scare Dru, it must be something"

"Will, don't argue" Angelus said, looking out the window, his eyes piercing the darkness, "There's three watchers, possibly more"

Dru bounded down the stairs again fully dressed with the shine of excitement in her eyes, "The lamb is going to fight; Grandmum is ready" she said looked towards the stairs as Darla emerged in a glittering green dress, her hair pulled up in a cream colored broach. 

She tossed a shirt and vest to Angelus and paused, smoothing down her skirts and walking towards the door, "I'll be back, stay here childer" she said decisively opening the door and walking out, her hands clasp in front of her demurely. 

"What is she going to do?" Will asked again, unable to keep the concern from his voice, "We could get killed."

Drusilla curled her arms around his neck and nibbled at it, "Naughty boy" she whispered in his ear, "We're already dead."

Angelus finished buttoning his vest over his shirt and pulled his hair back into a ponytail, sitting down on the couch and stretching his legs in front of him looking unconcerned. 

"Angelus-" Will said helplessly again, wondering why everyone seemed so complacent about it. 

"Hush, boy" Angelus ordered, "Sit and wait. Darla can handle herself, you shouldn't question her."

Will frowned and nodded, sitting on the brick fire place, pulling Dru into his lap, "Yes Sir" he said obediently knowing better than to question further. 

"Hello boys" Darla said with a smile as she walked out onto the porch, spotting the watchers crouched in the bushes surrounding their home with their stakes and crossbows ready, "I've been expecting you lot to show up."

A/N: Don't forget to review! The next chapter: The watchers attack them and William disobeys Angelus's orders. 


	4. Chapter 4

**The Way We Were**

**Chapter 4**

A/N: I'm sorry for the long wait on this chapter, but as most of you know, I've had some computer troubles. I've managed to save all my fics to a different computer now, so stories will once again be regularly updated.

An middle aged man stepped out of the shadows, a crossbow already aimed and pointed at Darla's heart while two others advanced on her baring crosses. "Bring the rest of your clan out, vampire" the head watcher boomed, his small beady eyes glaring at Darla with seething hatred, "So that we may send to back to hell where you belong."

"With an invitation like that, how could I refuse?" Darla asked with a courteous smile, as the other watchers got closer, shielding themselves with heavy wooden crosses. Darla batted them away keeping her face a mask of calm as she turned and opened the door to the house a crack, "Angelus, come here if you please"

Angelus walked out of the house after muttering a gruff "stay here" to the childer and promptly snapped one of the watchers necks' while Darla simultaneously snapped the others. 

The head watcher faltered a moment at their perfectly timed execution and then fired the crossbow missing both vampires by feet as they advance on him. 

Just as Darla and Angelus moved in for the kill, William burst from the house and yelled, "Look out behind you Angelus!" 

Another pair of watchers came at him from the back and he pushed them off quickly, but he was distracted as yet another watcher emerged from the thick forest bordering their home and attacked Will. Dru ran from the doorframe to help her struggling childe and from there was complete chaos. 

Darla heard stakes and arrows zing past her as she fought with the head watcher. She felt a flurry of movement beside her and heard Drusilla's screams some ways behind where she was struggling for control over the crossbow with the watcher, but she didn't have time to look around, she couldn't lose a moments concentration. 

More flying stakes and another scream before a watchers body fell heavily at her feet and Angelus's arms tugged on the silk sleeve of her gown, "Darla, make haste with this one, Drusilla got burned with holy water and William's not much help."

"In a moment" Darla replied with ease as if Angelus was asking her to come in for tea and they weren't amidst a battle scene. She wrestled away the crossbow from the watcher and shot him in the foot with it so he couldn't get away, "I'll deal with you in a moment" she replied before turning away and walking towards Dru. 

Angelus snapped the necks of the last two watchers as Darla knelt on the damp leaves next to Dru and examined her burned fingers and hands while Will hovered near them, worry for Dru evident on his face.

He had been burned by it too, but he wasn't going to say a thing. He didn't want his elders thinking he couldn't fight, and beside, Dru was the first priority. 

"Your hands will heal in a few days time" Darla told her, helping her stand and then handing her over to Angelus before she turned to Will, a look of annoyed disgust in her eyes, "Are you hurt, boy?"

"No Madam" he answered automatically, tugging on his sleeve to hide the circle of charred flesh on his wrist where that damned water had splashed him.

"Good" Darla said, standing up and starting toward the last watcher left alive who was frantically trying to crawl into the woods leaving a trail of blood in his wake. Darla grabbed him by the throat and drug him into the clearing in front of their home, standing him up and putting her slender hands on either side of his neck, about to snap it. 

"Grandmum, wait!" Drusilla exclaimed making her pause, "Can't we keep him? I haven't had a pet in so long and besides" Drusilla licked her lips, "He looks fun."

"No, Dru" Angelus interjected, leading her back to the house, "Let Darla do what she will with them, you can get a playmate after your hands heal."

Dru pouted a moment and then nodded, letting Angelus lead her into the house. 

Darla rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the watcher before pausing and looking at Will who stood uncertainly between the pile of bodies and their cottage. "Come here, boy." She said and shoved the watcher to the ground in Will's direction. "You snap his neck, it'll be good practice," Darla told him, crossing her arms and watching as Will nodded and picked up the watcher, ducking a punch and grabbing onto his neck. The watcher punched him again and slid out of his grip, falling to the ground again because of his damaged foot. 

"William, do hurry. We don't have all night," Darla prompted looking bored. 

Will ducked his head and grabbed the watcher again, mumbling a "Yes Madam" before concentrating on the watcher in front of him and twisting the neck with all his strength. He stumbled back, surprised when the neck completely severed and the head came clean off in his hands. 

Darla laughed at his started expression and took the head from his hands, tossing it aside, "Next time just snap the neck, William, don't take the head off" she chided, but there was a definite gleam of pride in her eyes at the childe's strength. 

Will smiled too and nodded, "Yes, Madam." He looked down at the headless body seeing the blood that seeped into the packed dirt ground with a slight frown, "Soding waste of good blood" he muttered kicking the body in annoyance is if it was the fallen watchers fault. 

Darla smiled, "You'll have your fill of blood William, don't worry" Darla told him with a smile as she surveyed the damage, "Bring the bodies inside, we don't have to go hunting now" she said walking back into the cottage satisfied that they'd been successful in their encounter. 

When she walked into the house Drusilla was kneeling on the floor in front of Angelus as he examined her hands with a frown. 

She nodded and sat on the couch next to Angelus, gently taking Drusilla's hand from him and turning them over in hers. 

"Where's the boy?" Angelus asked wrapping an arm around Darla's slim corseted waist. 

"He's collecting the bodies" she replied, "Go and get a bit of cloth, I need to bandage her hands before they get infected."

"I can't die from it, can I?" Drusilla asked in a high whiny tone, "The evil bad man with the fire water, he poisons us all, the evil water seeps in my veins and poison me…evil…evil…swimming around-"

Drusilla stopped talking when Darla put a hand over her mouth and said sternly, "Drusilla hush." 

"A bit of cloth, from where?" Angelus asked, "The only cloth I can think of is the bedclothes and our under clothes. Unless you want to tear a strip from your own petticoat…" Angelus said with a shrug of annoyance, "You talk of me spoiling the childer."

Darla clenched her jaw in irritation and pulled her skirts up, grabbing a piece of the cream colored fabric that made up her petticoat, tearing off a piece for each of Dru's hands. "That is exactly what I intend to do" she replied and pulled Dru's hands out flat, "And I don't spoil anyone, but her hands will scar if their not cared for and if you want to hear her whine endlessly for it then by my guest, but I do not." Darla told, "And anyway, Dru isn't that idiot childe William, the only thing he deserves is a good staking."

Dragging the four watchers corpses, Will walked in at the end of Darla's sentence and grimaced. She had been so happy with him only moments ago and now she was back her undying hatred of him. What had changed? Will saw the malicious glint in Angelus's eyes and knew it was because of him, he was bating her somehow; but that wasn't his concern now. Drusilla's hands were burnt and bloody and she was making a whiny sound like a hurt animal. 

"Dru" he said kneeling next to her, dropping a kiss on her cheek, "Are you okay? He looked at Darla concerned, "Will she be okay?"

"I don't know" Darla replied, "She could die from it" she told him, sharing a secretive smirk with Angelus at her joke. 

Will gritted his teeth and resided the urge to rip her throat out. How dare she make jokes now, with Drusilla crying at her feet? "I was only concerned Madam," he said with a steely calm in his voice. 

"Then make yourself useful and go fill a basin with water" she ordered, "I need to rise her hands before I bandage them" she said and looked down at Dru's hands in annoyance as if this was just another chore for her as she started to peel the dead skin from the younger vampire's hands revealing raw blistered skin under it while Drusilla screamed.

Hearing her screams, Will hurried with the basin of water, rushing out to the pump and filling it as fast as possible before rushing back in and shoving it near Darla, accidentally sloshing it on her. "Here Madam" he said, his eyes wide with worry for his sire. 

"Angelus, go bring Dru a body to eat while I do this so it'll shut her up. I'll get a headache with all this screaming." Darla ordered soaking Drusilla's hands in the water, clouding it with red blood. 

Angelus compiled quickly, dragging a body from the top of the heap and baring the neck towards Dru's mouth, all but shoving it towards her fangs. Drusilla latched on and her screams died down only to whimpers as she drunk the thick dead blood. 

Angelus got a body for himself and tossed one to Will, with the order, "Drink up, boy"

Darla wrapped Drusilla's hands in the cloth from her petticoat and then dried them off on her dress and looked down expectantly at her, "Now don't pick at them, but you'll be fine" she said pulling her onto the couch and grabbing a body form the stack for herself. 

"We need to talk" Angelus said dropping the drained body on the floor and motioning for Darla to come upstairs, the glint in his eyes suddenly gone and his faced turned serious.

A/N: Next chapter, Darla and Angelus have a 'talk', and Angelus gives her an ultimatum. Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I know it's been a while since I updated, but have you seen how many fics I have going?

The Way We Were

Chapter 5

Darla frowned and lifted her head to look at him, licking a trickle of blood from her lips, "Angelus there's nothing to talk about, just sit here and enjoy the peace and quiet and warm blood in your veins" she told him, dipping her head back down and draining the last from the body she was holding.

"Darla" Angelus said again, lifting the drained body from her lap and dropping it next to his before pulling her up gently frorm the couch. "It's important."

"You have gotten very needy and imposing of late" she said wrapping her arms around him and pulling his head down towards hers for a kiss, "You need to change that."

Angelus smiled and dipped her in his arms, "Getting annoying am I?" he asked with a laugh as he led her up the stairs, "Now come up the stairs and talk with me, dear one."

Darla smiled and followed Angelus up the stairs until Drusilla, still sitting on the couch, the watcher she was feeding on pushed aside, tugged on the hem of Darla's dress making her stop.

"Grandmum, I want to come with you. Secrets and secrets all around me buzzing and whispering, will you let me in?" Dru begged, her hands claps together hopefully.

"Come along" Darla told her walking up the stairs, "Will, stay behind" she ordered without even so much as looking over her shoulder at him.

Will swore and kicked the couch, tears of frustration coming to his eyes. He would never be one of them, no matter what he did or how loyal and obedient he was, they would always treat him like an outsider. Drusilla was insane and they respected her more than him. He crept up the stairs and sat in the hall, his head angled towards the doorframe to listen. The door was open a crack and inside Will could see Darla and Dru sitting on the sprawling king sized bed while Angelus paced the ground in front of them. Darla took the pin holding Drusilla's hair up out and combed her ebony locks with a wire brush, slapping Dru's hands ever now and then when she picked at her bandages.

"What do you think of Paris?" Angelus asked as he continued to pace.

"It's a perfectly fine city, what of it?" Darla asked twisting piece of Dru's hair around her finger, playing with it absentmindedly. She grimaced suddenly and said, "No, we're not going there." She said, "We're fine here in London; perfectly fine. The slayer has a broken neck and her watcher is dead on our living room floor, we've got nothing to worry about. London is perfect for us and we, are perfect for it"

"Darla, lets be practical" Angelus argued, "The slayer will heal remarkably soon and be after us again, there is an amount of never ending Watchers from that council and my God Darla, I'll be damned if I wait around to get dusted."

"So you want to run frightened?" Darla asked, done toying with Drusilla's hair and stretching languidly on the bed, "You've killed slayers before and so have I, we've nothing to worry about. It is all about the hunt after all, you can even make her lose her mind like you did our darling Dru if you'd prefer."

"I'd prefer that we relocate. I know we can take slayers, but it's not us I'm worried about, we have childer, helpless, imbecile childer who not only have the chance to get themselves dusted, but us as well."

Darla sat up again and smirked, "Well, aren't you the doting dad" she simpered, "So concerned about your poor little defenseless childer" she laughed, "It's noting, just let it be."

"Nothing?" Angelus thundered, "Fine, just stay here and deal with the threat yourself, but I hear France is very nice this time of year and I plan on seeing it for myself" he said sternly, starting to pace more quickly.

Darla sighed, "Oh, my darling boy" she said curling up in the bed.

"What?" he yelled.

"Send me a postcard from Paris, will you?" she asked with a smile as Angelus glared daggers at her.

"And I'm taking the childer!" he threatened.

"Really?" Darla asked and laughed, "I should be so lucky"

Drusilla growled and shook her head, "I want to stay with mummy." She curled against Darla and laid her head against her waist.

"Dru can stay here, but feel free to take the boy, you'd be doing me a favor"

"Because that's all I live to do" Angelus muttered and walked out, "look for that postcard." He almost tripped over Will's crouched form in the hall and kicked him out of the way, jogging down the stairs and banging out the door into the night.

Drusilla whimpered and sat up, "Daddy's all gone…all gone away, he tastes of bitter, bitter pomegranates, not sweet at all." She shook her head and repeated, "Not sweet."

"We're all bitter" Darla replied and sighed, biting her lip, "Don't start, Dru"

Will slowly got up and pushed open the door a little wider, "Dru? Darla- er, Madam?" he called walked into the room uncertainly.

"William, you're the man of the house now, you're slow and dumb, but you'll do" she said emotionlessly, "Go pick up the bodies downstairs and then take Dru out, I'd like to be alone."

Will nodded and compiled silently, taking Dru's hand gently so as not to hurt her burns and led her out of the room leaving Darla alone, looking after them.

"I hate my childer" she muttered and got out of bed, tossing things in her way aside, brushing the entire contents of her dresser onto the floor watching as the tiny bottles and containers of perfume, rouge, and face powder shattered, littering glass and colors across the wood floor. She tipped her armoire over and screamed at the top of her lungs in frustration as tears pooled in her eyes. Angelus, that bastard! He left her! How could he do such a thing? They argued all the time, but he…left, he just left and Darla knew somewhere in the recesses of her blackened heart that he wasn't coming back. And it was all her fault, she pushed him too hard, ignored him, treated him like a naive childe. It. Was. All. Her. Fucking. Fault.

Darla sunk to the floor amidst the scattered glass and picked up the broken pieces, looking at each bit as of she'd never seen glass before. She picked up an aqua-colored oval piece of glass from her perfume bottle and crushed with between her thumb and forefinger, watching as the smaller pieces of it embed themselves into her skin causing droplets of stolen blood to spring forth.

She sat like that for a long time in an almost comatose state watching the blood pooling on her fingers like so many small rose petals. They were petals of misery that duplicated the ones inside of her aching, telling her she lost, everything she'd ever wanted, was gone and she was now truly alone. It wasn't about love, no, never about that, nor the sex though it was undeniably good, it was about the knowing smiles she got from him, the small smirks when she made a joke or said something cruel to the childer that only he understood. It was almost a century's worth of private jokes and shared memories, a century of sharing everything, moments and thoughts and fears, they were close…closer than kin or lovers, closer than even the most devoted couple.  No one could infuriate her more than him, or make her happier; they were almost different sides of the same person, but now that person was gone…half of her was gone.

Darla didn't move until she heard the ruffle of movement behind her and the thrum of voices around her like the buzzing of honey sweetened bees that Drusilla always spoke of. She felt a rough pair of hands on her shoulders trying to pull her upwards, pull her out of her grief, but she shook them off, falling back into her pit of despair and felt the blood warmed body of Drusilla curl up beside her and coo into her ear, nursery rhymes of dead children and blackened roses.

Darla came out of her stupor then, she smiled a little and listened to Dru's high crooning, wrapping her arms around the girl and resting her head on the younger vampire's shoulder; Angelus was her lover, but Dru was her best friend and she hoped with a fierce intensity that she would admit to no one, that she didn't break that too.

"William, go tend to the fire, I'm sure it's gone down since you've left" Darla ordered in a voice sounding very far away, yet the same as when Angelus was right here with her.

"Darla…are you okay?" the timid boy asked, shifting from one foot to the other uneasily as his eyes washed over the destruction she'd created.

She turned to him stiffly and addressed him formally, "William, just because Angelus has chosen to go on a trip doesn't mean you may let your manners fall. You will address me as Madam."

Will nodded and said a quick, "I'm sorry, Madam" before rushing off to tend the fire. It was only after he left that Darla realized she never answered his question.

"Grandmum, we had the most wonderful time!" Drusilla exclaimed, clasping her hands together like an eager toddler, "We danced under the stars while they sang for us, and we found the nicest couple outside of a restaurant. The man screamed so loud when I fed from him…it was such pretty music. When will daddy be home?"

Darla gave her a tight-lipped smile, "Daddy has gone to Paris; he shall be back when the threat of the slayer is over" she said evasively.

"Yes, mummy, but when?" Dru prompted.

"Drusilla, I don't know." Darla snapped, "I have no control over Angelus and I just don't know" she had a strong urge to strike the girl, but dug her nails into the flesh of her palms instead, only lightning when she felt blood, to quell the urge.

Darla stood up shakily and walked to the bed, lying down without even bothering to loosen her corset, she didn't breathe, so what did it matter anyway? She pulled the pin out of her hair and let her honey colored tendrils of hair flow down to her shoulders and frame her head as she laid back in the bed making it look like a golden halo.

"Grandmum?" Drusilla asked timidly as she stood up too, her heeled boots crunching the glass underfoot to bits.

"Stop calling me that" Darla repeated as she always did, but this time there were no threat behind her words.

"Why did Daddy leave us? Was I naughty girl?" Drusilla asked with all the childlike innocent someone sane could never possess at her age, "Did I do wrong, grandmum?"

Darla was temped to his a 'yes', to pin it all on the girl, make her take the guilt and burden, she was temped to blame it all on her childer. Idiot childer that never did anything right and constantly wore on her nerves, but something about her own childhood struck her, how even a the age of six she'd never had the innocence Drusilla had about her now, and she just couldn't, _couldn't_shatter that, especially with lies.

"No, Dru, it wasn't you, or William, or really even me. Angelus just…is testing me. He excepts me to run after him to France, but we can get along fine without him, can't we, precious?" Darla asked raising her head from the lace coverlet of the bed and smiling a Dru with faux mischievousness.

She thought Drusilla would look at it as an adventure, she thought Drusilla would claps her hands together and give a little hop of excitement and heartily agree, she did not however, expect Drusilla to frown and shake her head, sounding saner than she had in years with a  "No, I should expect we wouldn't." before walking out the door as silently as she'd come in.

Something in Darla broke then, as she lay back in bed and closed her eyes, the realization hitting her with finality that she was wholly responsible for the childer. She thought then that it'd be best to go down the stairs and dust them both where they stood and be nomadic again, like the time before Angelus, but she wasn't even truly alone then, she'd had the master. Beside, Darla didn't possess the energy to even sit up, compared to staking both the childer, and William was a spirited one, he'd struggle to the death. No, she'd just lay here and think, she decided. Darla didn't move from her bed for three days, neither feeding nor speaking to the childer.

TBC…next chapter Darla has an emotional breakdown of sorts and they all adjust to life without Angelus.


End file.
